ELLSWORTH — Jim Goodman stands at the edge of a packed pool deck at the Down East Family YMCA. Surrounded by swimmers, he stands perfectly still with a whistle in his mouth.

As Goodman blows his whistle, members of the Ellsworth swim team jump into the pool in groups of four. When each group nears the other side of the ball, he blows the whistle again and shouts, “Go!” so loud it can be heard echoing throughout the entire building.

In the past, Goodman wouldn’t have had to blow his whistle nearly this much. Yet with 44 swimmers on the team this season, Ellsworth’s coach of 15 seasons requires a bit longer.